Calais Sights

  1. Cap Blanc-Nez

    The White-Nosed Cape, as its name translates, is a white cliff - not a cape at all - on a stretch of the Côte d'Opale between Sangatte and Escalles. It affords breathtaking views of the Bay of Wissant, the port of Calais, the Flemish countryside and the cliffs of Kent and is the perfect point to start or end an exploration of the coastline.

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  2. Colonne Louis XVIII

    Colonne Louis XVIII commemorates the French king's return from exile in England after the fall of Napoleon (1814). A close inspection will reveal a Hollywood-style imprint of the royal foot.

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  3. lighthouse

    Willing to burn calories for a superb panorama? Try climbing the 271 stairs to the top of the lighthouse, built in 1848.

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  4. Musée de la Dentelle et de la Mode

    Sometime during the winter of 2007-08, a brand new museum dedicated to Calais' glorious lace-making legacy, the Musée de la Dentelle et de la Mode, is set to open in a 19th-century lace factory whose façade has been transformed to look like a giant Jacquard punched card.

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  5. Musée de la Guerre

    World War II artefacts (uniforms, weapons, proclamations) fill the display cases of the Musée de la Guerre, housed in a concrete bunker that used to be a German naval headquarters. It sits incongruously in Parc St-Pierre, next to a boules ground and a children's playground.

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  7. Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle

    The Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle focuses on just two things: modern sculptures, including pieces by Rodin; and the history of lace-making both before and after the first lace machines were smuggled over from England - with French government encouragement - in 1816.

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  8. Museum of Fine Arts & Lace

    The museum ( Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle ) focuses on two things: modern sculpture, including pieces by Rodin; and the history of lace-making before and after the first lace machines were smuggled over from England - with French government encouragement - in 1816.

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  9. Tour de Guet

    The 13th-century Tour de Guet, square at the base but octagonal on top, is a rare remnant of pre-20th-century Calais - the rest of the town was virtually demolished during WWII.

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